This speech is a Cold War political campaign speech, pure and simple. Dragging in biblical quotes and allusions is a long-standing tradition in American political speech, and here, as nearly always, those quotes and allusions serve the political purpose of the speech rather than the other way around.

I don’t know what sort of rose-colored glasses Mr. Smith was wearing when he read this speech, but he certainly did not see the reality of it.

Join the conversation:

To report inappropriate comments, abuse and/or repeat offenders, please send an email to
socialmedia@post-gazette.com and include a link to the article and a copy of the comment. Your report will be reviewed in a timely manner.
Thank you.